


To Hell, Heaven, Purgatory and Back

by sapphirecobalt



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Castiel/Dean Winchester One Shot, College, College Student, Costumes, Flirting, Halloween, M/M, One Shot, POV Alternating, POV Floating, Talking, college party, features a book series I made up, halloween party
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-18
Packaged: 2020-12-21 14:58:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21076793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sapphirecobalt/pseuds/sapphirecobalt
Summary: Dean Winchester and Castiel Novak meet at a Halloween party in Collge. As it turns out, they're wearing the costumes of their OTP.





	To Hell, Heaven, Purgatory and Back

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is part of destiel.fanfiction's one shot Halloween/October contest on Instagram.
> 
> Edit (8/25/20): This fic has not been beta read, however, I did go back and edit this so there shouldn't be any errors; at the very least, there are less errors than I started with. Also, I changed the rating from "Not Rated" to "Teen and Up Audiences". Additionally, I got rid of Benny's written accent; now, his accent is only mentioned.
> 
> And if I missed any tags, please let me know!

_~One Year Ago~_

_Purgatory._

_A strange name for a strange bookstore, but Castiel supposed that’s why he liked it so much._

_A little bell above the door signaled his entrance and he made his way through the tall, dark gray wooden bookcases. He’d only been here once before but he still remembered the way through the maze of bookshelves._

_He feasted his eyes upon the mural on the wall. The far back wall had tables and chairs against it, but still allowed for a view of the painting. Castiel moved closer to the wall, and marvelled at the attention to detail._

_He appreciated the fact that he felt as if he could step into the painting of the forest, which he surmised to be the artists’ interpretation of Purgatory. He could almost hear the crunching of the long-dead leaves and twigs beneath his feet and feel the rough texture of the black trees that somehow still have leaves despite looking dead. If he closed his eyes, with the image of the painted forest right behind his eyelids, he could almost hear the voices of the souls lost in Purgatory._

_At least, that’s what Castiel believed the artists’ intentions were. Whoever they are, they were talented. He wouldn’t claim to know what techniques the artist used to create such a masterpiece, but he did love the light gray sky, the black foreboding trees that appeared to loom overhead, and he loved how the dark yellow leaves on their branches were the only things that appeared to be alive in the painting._

_Castiel’s so mesmerized by the mural before him that he didn’t notice the man that walked up right beside him._

_“Name’s, Benny,” the man held out his hand._

_“Castiel.” He took it._

_“Woo-wee, that’s one hell of a name you got there, brother.” Benny hollered and it wasn’t until this moment Castiel noticed the man’s - Benny’s - southern drawl. They let go._

_He nodded. “Thank you. I got it for my birthday,” he deadpanned._

_Benny howled with laughter. “You sure did. What brings you in?”_

_“My brother recommended this establishment and I decided to stop by a few weeks ago. I enjoyed the decor-” Castiel motioned to the wall, “-and the atmosphere, so I came back.”_

_“So, what are you looking for, brother?”_

_“Oh, I don’t know.” Castiel replied in a small voice._

_Benny gave the mural behind them a glance and started walking. “Follow me.”_

_And so Castel did. The two young men made their way to the other side of the store while Benny spoke. “I saw you looking at my mural and thought you might like to know that it was based off a book series.” Once they reached the checkout counter, Benny went behind the counter and pulled out a book. Castiel took the book from Benny and looked at the cover. His eyebrows went up in amazement: on the cover was the exact same forest painted on the wall._

_To Hell, Purgatory, Heaven and Back. By Chuck Edlund._

_“I gotta admit, it’s one of my personal favorites.” Benny’s smile reached his eyes and he looked so proud of himself. Castiel gave what he hoped was a sympathetic smile. When he turned the book over to read the summary, he was enthralled by the description._

_He faced Benny and it was as if the other man could read his mind, or more accurately, his facial expression, because he wordlessly rang Castiel up._

_And so, that day, Castiel left with the first book in a series that would soon become his favorite._

~Present~

“That’s how I got introduced to Edlund’s series.” Castiel finishes telling his story with the corner of his lips upturned in a sort of half-smile. He takes a sip of soda and sets the red solo cup back on the wooden table. 

“You’re telling me you got introduced to one of the best book series by an overly-enthusiastic, beefy southerner?” asks his new-found friend Dean, laughing with his whole body.

Castiel swears he’s never laughed so hard in his life; he never thought about it like that, but- “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Why is that so funny?”

“I don’t know man, it’s just...you’re really interesting, y'know?” In the time it takes Dean to compose himself, Castiel goes from laughing the hardest he’s ever laughed in his life to blushing the hardest he’s ever blushed in his life, and Dean enjoys every single second of it. 

It was a vague compliment, and yet, coming from Dean, it’s one of the best he’s ever received. “How so?” Castiel manages to ask. He doesn’t know why he’s blushing so much, but he’s especially grateful for the colorful strobe lights that flash at odd intervals; he hopes they’ll distract from his blushing.

Dean turns up the charm, “Well, it’s not everyday you meet someone that’s named after an angel, much less someone who actually looks like one,” going for a sultry tone and moderately succeeding; it’s not easy with the music blaring from all around them. He doesn’t really know what’s playing, but it’s not important because listening to Castiel speak in that deep, gravelly voice of his sounds much better to Dean’s ears.

“You can thank my mother for that.” Watching Dean’s full lips was distracting to Castiel, so much so that he lost his train of thought and had difficulty trying not to stare. “I mean, thank her for the fact that I’m named after an angel,” He clarified after gaining mental momentum. He looks up at Dean’s gorgeous green eyes and- no, they are just as distracting. How is he supposed to get through this conversation?

“Maybe I will.” He quirks his lips, as if he knows just how much Castiel finds them irresistible, and takes a sip of his drink before setting it down. “Let her know that I’m a big fan of her work, too.” He winks.

Castiel gulps. He is so screwed. “I’m, uh, sure she’d be f-flattered.” He used to be so much more articulate than this, what the hell happened? Oh yeah, Dean’s eyes.

Dean couldn’t help but lick his lips while staring at Castiel’s. “What about you?”

Castiel is mesmerized by this, just as he had been by Purgatory’s mural. “What about me?” His voice cracks and he berates himself for it. At this rate, he’ll be a puddle on the floor.

“Are you flattered?” Bless Dean, he sounded so hopeful. And desperate.

Castiel tears his eyes away from the gorgeous sight of Dean Winchester long enough to look around the living room full of costumed party-goers, who are all dancing, drinking, yelling over the music, eating, making out and generally partying, and gain his composure. As he did, taking deep breaths, he inhaled the strong smell of alcohol. Once ready, he turns back to Dean. Smirking, he replied, “Flattery will get you nowhere. But you’re cute when you try.”

Dean searches Castiel’s blue eyes that appear to change with the colorful lights but never lose their intensity. “Then I must be damn good lookin’ right now.” It’s his turn to swallow; he hopes he’s right.

“Now?” Castiel’s voice gets huskier, which Dean doesn’t think is possible, and he quirks an eyebrow. “I think you mean all of the time. Not just in that costume.”

Since this is the first time they meet, neither of them knew what the other looked like on a non-Halloween day, but Dean humors him all the same. “Oh, you like my costume?”

Castiel looks Dean up and down, making it _very_ obvious that he’s drinking in the sight of Dean wearing his favorite character’s signature outfit: black cowboy boots, tight leather pants, and a dark gray plaid button up. “Very much so.”

Dean blushes and swallows hard. His mouth is so dry he has to take a sip of his punch before he can continue. “I like it, too,” is the best he can come up with. _Smooth, Winchester, real smooth._

Castiel chuckles. _Why is Dean so cute?_ “So does Ande T. Winchear. Is that why you decided to dress up as him?”

In an attempt to save himself from further embarrassment, he took the change in subject and rolled with it. “I dressed up as him because he’s awesome. He’s a self-righteous demonic cowboy that fights criminals and supernatural creatures. What’s not to love?”

Castiel notices the way Dean’s eyes light up when he talks about something he’s passionate about, and it makes the butterflies in his stomach flutter even more. "Until Alecs Vanti shows up,” he states, referencing the part in the novel where his favorite character shows up and turns Winchear’s life upside down. 

Dean confirms and elaborates, “Until Alecs Vanti shows up a dozen chapters later and distracts the hell out of Winchear.” He looks Castiel up and down. “It makes sense that you dressed up as him,” referring to the components of Castiel’s costume: halo headband, thin white button up, skinny white pants, with matching combat boots and a blood red cape with a hood. “You’re both very distracting,” Castiel is especially distracting because his eyes are easy to get lost in and Dean can’t help but want to prove that Cas’ black hair is as soft as it looks. 

“Is that so?” Amusement and flirtation drip in Castiel’s voice.

“Yeah. It’s funny, though. When I was reading the series, well, let’s just say you’re exactly how I pictured him.” As Dean voiced his thoughts, the conversation grew way too serious for his liking, so he tried to balance it out with some humor. “When I first saw you earlier, I thought that Vanti himself escaped the pages of the book and somehow made his way to the party,” he laughs it off. 

But Castiel won’t let him cheapen the moment; not when it means so much to the former. “You are not at all what I pictured when I was reading the scenes with Winchear. You’re so much better.”

For the first time all night, Castiel leaves the one and only Dean Winchester speechless. “Well you sure know how to make a guy feel special.” All of a sudden the large stain on the wooden table between them seems like the most interesting thing in the world. He glances back and forth between it and Castiel, trying to gauge his reaction, hoping Cas won’t notice the way Dean’s face feels like it’s on fire. He can’t, unless Dean’s blush becomes visible, but he hopes the lights will help with that. 

For the first time all night, Castiel is glad that the music is blaring because it forces him to lean even closer to Dean, in order to hear him more clearly, and allows him to get a better view; and a better view it is. He almost mourns the fact that he couldn’t see Dean’s freckles from a distance. “My brother would disagree with you, on all accounts.” Dean looks up at that. “And for the record, so would I. I’m awful at flirting, but you’re very easy to talk to.”

“I feel the same way.”

He’s blessed with Cas giving him a gummy smile that reaches his eyes and Dean isn’t one for all of the sappy romantic crap (okay, he is, but he’ll never admit that to anyone), but he swears he’d do anything to see Cas smile like that again. “Good.”

Dean looks from Cas’ face down to his chest, or the part of his chest that isn’t covered by his cape. Even through the shirt, he can see Vanti’s signature runes drawn on Cas’ chest; lucky for Dean, Vanti wore a tight shirt. 

Cas notices. “My brother helped me paint them on.”

“Huh,” is Dean’s eloquent response. 

“Vanti’s runes. You know, the ones he has all over his body, the source of his powers?” Castiel reminds him.

“R-right.” Dean stammers. He clears his throat. “So you have the runes, but not the angel wings or the witch hat?”

Cas chuckles and gives a smile, but it doesn’t quite reach his eyes like the other one did. “I  
had to choose between the halo and the hat. I figured the headband would be less trouble  
than the giant, flimsy hat. As for the wings, it’s hard to wear fake wings and a cape at the same time. Believe me, I tried, but in the end, it seemed more trouble than it was worth. I don’t know how Alecs did it.” 

Dean absorbs and processes this information. “Seaking of, why do you like Vanti so much?” Dean found himself really wanting to know the answer.

Maybe Cas could tell because he seems pleased. “He’s an enigma…” Castiel goes into detail about how Vanti’s moral ambiguity made him such a complex character, especially since he was an angel and belonged to a coven of witches that prided themselves on having a strict moral code. The conversation went from how Vanti is often misunderstood due to his introverted nature to how Winchear is the only one that truly understands Vanti, which makes his betrayal of Vanti, in the last book, all the more heartbreaking; Cas then talks about how Winchear and Vanti really compliment each other, not in spite of the fact that they’re polar opposites, but rather because of it and he goes on to say that he loves the fact that the main characters in the series are a gay angel/witch and his bisexual demon cowboy. 

The entire time Cas speaks, Dean doesn’t hear a word because he’s too busy being transfixed by the way the emotions play out on Cas’ face: face full of wonder when he discusses his favorite character, eyes displaying sadness when he talks about how misunderstood Vanti and how it causes him a lot of self esteem issues, anger creeps into his voice when describes Winchear’s betrayal, and a smile full of love appears when Cas gets to Vanti and Winchear’s romance. All Dean can do is stare and hope he isn’t actually drooling. 

Cas looks sheepish by the time he’s done. “My apologies. I’ve been rambling for so long that you haven’t been able to get a word in. 

Dean waves him off, “You’ve got nothing to apologize for.”

Then it’s Dean’s turn to get animated about the series, while Castiel stares at him with heart eyes. As Dean gets into the complexities of the plot, going into explicit detail about the tropes used, the description, diction, point of view and how they were all cleverly utilized by the author to create a masterpiece, Castiel feels as if they’re in a bubble, where time slowed down.

Meanwhile, the world around them moves on. The costumed party-goers continue dancing, drinking, yelling over the music, eating, making out and generally partying.

“Cassie, there you are! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been?” A guy about their age, wearing a Loki costume, interrupts

Dean snickered at the nickname. “What is it Gabriel?” Castiel asks, exasperated, the only way to respond.

Oblivious to, and intruding on, Castiel and Dean’s moment, “Time to go, kiddo.”

Confused, “We just got here,” Castiel states. Dean frowns at this, too.

“Yeah, like, five hours ago. Party’s over dude. Time to go home.”

Cas and Dean turn their attention from Gabriel to each other then to the room around them. He’s right: around them, half of the crowd was gone, most of the people left are saying their goodbyes, collecting missing accessories and props, calling their rides and in a general state of leaving. Cas and Dean face each other, and it’s clear that they’re thinking the same thing: they talked to each other for four and a half hours straight and didn’t even notice. 

“C’mon, Cassie, you can go on another date some other time, right now you have to take me home,” Gabriel whines. Both Cas and Dean had matching sheepish looks.

So he did know what was going on, he just didn’t care. Typical.

Cas got out of his seat and stretched. “Excuse me, Dean, I have to bring my brother home.”

Dean got up as well. “Uh, yeah, I should, uh, head home, too.”

“Articulate, this one,” Gabriel sasses under his breath. 

Neither wants to say goodbye. “Can I, uh, get your number, Cas?” Dean doesn’t know when he started calling Castiel ‘Cas’, but considering the thoughtful look on his face, he doesn’t think Cas minds.

“Of course, Dean.”

And so they did just that. As promised, Cas brought his brother home, and Dean headed back to his dorm, too.

That night, Dean texted first.

**Author's Note:**

> Edit: This is the first fic I've ever posted on ao3! It's also my first Destiel fic! I'm pretty proud of it, although I feel like it's rushed. I do take constructive criticism so feel free to let me know what you think. Thank you for reading! Happy Halloween!
> 
> Edit (8/25/20): If you have any question, comments, and/or concerns (and you don't feel comfortable posting them here), you're more than welcome to drop an ask on my [Tumblr](https://sapphirecobalt-1.tumblr.com/). I also have an [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/sapphirecobalt/) if you want to follow.


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